milk

You could make small loaves of each to try it out, although I have to admit that neither sounds good to me. When I don't have milk on hand I just skip using it altogether! However, you will need to have the same amount of liquid as though you did add the milk, so add more water, or an egg, or combination of egg and water. Milk in bread makes a finer crumb; water doesn't refine the crumb; egg makes a wee bit finer crumb and adds a lovely texture.

You can use anything you want, realizing that the flavor and texture will be altered. I would probably use water or Soya milk, but not artificial coffee creamer which will be high in fat and probably have a lot of saturated fat from tropical oils - or even worse, trans-fats from partial hydrogenation. If you just don't use milk because spoils faster than you can consume it, I would get some instant, non-fat dry milk powder and use that. You can mix the powder with the dry ingredients and then add water.

Hi --

The milk in bread affects the texture ever so slightly. Large amounts of milk, ie the buttermilk in a buttermilk bread, also affect the flavor.

If the bread contains just a tsp of milk or dried milk, you can safely omit it. It's there for texture only. (And personally, I can't tell the difference.)

If the recipe contains a larger quantity of milk, you can substitute another liquid, either water or soy milk, typically with fine results. The flavor will be slightly different, of course, but plain milk doesn't have huge amounts of flavor to impart. Do be sure that the liquid you add has a similar amount of sugar, though, as sugar affects yeast production.

If the recipe contains buttermilk, find a different recipe. Buttermilk is there specifically for flavor, and your results will be quite different if you substitute a different liquid. You'd also need to add fat of some sort, since buttermilk is very rich.

I hope this helps,

--Beth Kevles snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

-- a page for the milk-allergic Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you wouldlike me to reply.

Actually, buttermilk is lower in fat than whole milk, at least the way they make it these days. You can also buy powdered buttermilk if the issue is that you use so little that it doesn't justify buying a quart of fresh.

Buttermilk is not there just for the flavor, it is highly acidic and serves to activate baking powder in the recipe. Double acting baking powder has two actions: the first is in the presence of an acid (hence the buttermilk in a recipe; the second is in the presence of heat. If the recipe calls for baking powder and buttermilk, then the acid of the buttermilk is necessary. This can be substituted with regular milk and some lemon juice, usually a few teaspoons suffice.

T

Right, but that's not the case in bread making since there is no chemical leavening. The OP's question was: "When a bread recipe calls for milk, or buttermilk, what can I substitute it for, as I don't use milk. Is Soya milk or coffee mate acceptable"

Many thanks for the info.

Is it generally necessary to do anything to make baking powder work, with a normal recipe, or can you just throw it in and put it into the oven.

Baking powder is a balance of acid and baking soda. You don't have to do anything to make it work. If it is single acting baking powder, it will begin working immediately. Therefore, you have to get the product into the oven as soon as it is mixed. If you are working with double acting baking power, part will activate immediately and the second component will activate upon heating. You have a little flexibility with your timing with double acting baking powder. The can should tell you which type you have.

Baking powder contains a dry acid, so it does not require another acid in the recipe. Added acid is only needed to activate baking SODA.

Vox, what you say is true if the poster is discussing a yeast bread. I'm not really sure of that based on postings elsewhere. Janet